Terror Tunes Tuesday

Today’s Terror Tune Tuesday is Country Death Song by the Violent Femmes.

Song: Country Death Song

Artist: Violent Femmes

Album: Hallowed Ground (1987)

What makes this dreadful diddy so spooky? Many things:

The title. It’s called Country Death Song so we know we’re in for a morbid good time.

The subject matter. This song tells the story of a man who loses his mind over hunger and thirst. As a result, he plots to kill his young daughter by pushing her down a well.

The delivery of the lyrics. Try not to shiver as Gordon Gano deliberately sings each refrain. My favorite? “She was screaming as she fell, but I never heard her hit”.

The truth. The song is based on a true story about a man who intentionally threw his daughter in a well and then hanged himself in a barn in the 1800s.

If your goal is to scare the living daylights out of your kids, throw this on at bedtime and remind them that you’re the boss. Kidding – don’t do that. Unless you, like, have a healthy and open relationship and they know that you’re really not going to throw them down a well. OKAY I’m just bitter that my brother ruined “Cats in the Cradle” for me when I was a kid by scaring me half to death with the AWESOMELY terrible TV movie Strays.

Lyrics:

I had me a wife, I had me some daughters.
I tried so hard, I never knew still waters.
Nothing to eat and nothing to drink.
Nothing for a man to do but sit around and think.
Nothing for a man to do but sit around and think.

Well, I’m a thinkin’ and thinkin’, till there’s nothin’ I ain’t thunk.
Breathing in the stink, till finally I stunk.
It was at that time, I swear I lost my mind.
I started making plans to kill my own kind.
I started making plans to kill my own kind.

Come little daughter, ” I said to the youngest one,
Put your coat on, we’ll have some fun.
We’ll go out to mountains, the one to explore.
Her face then lit up, I was standing by the door.
Her face then lit up, I was standing by the door.

A led her to a hole, a deep black well.
I said “make a wish, make sure and not tell and
Close you’re eyes dear, and count to seven.
You know your papa loves you, good children go to heaven.
You know your papa loves you, good children go to heaven.

I gave her a push, I gave her a shove.
I pushed with all my might, I pushed with all my love.
I through my child into a bottomless pit.
She was screaming as she fell, but I never heard her hit.
She was screaming as she fell, but I never heard her hit.

Gather round boys to this tale that I tell.
You want to know how to take a short trip to hell?
It’s guaranteed to get your own place in hell.
Just take your lovely daughter and push her in the well.
Take your lovely daughter and throw her in the well.

Don’t speak to me of lovers, with a broken heart.
You want to know what can really tear you apart?
I’m going out to the barn, will I never stop in pain?
I’m going out to the barn, to hang myself in shame